C.J. Toledano presents Everybody's Haunted Part Boo!

Our friend and former Chicagoan C.J. Toledano (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Soup Investigates) presents a one-night-only parade of comedy dumbness this Halloween!

C.J. Toledano
Marty Derosa
John Eisenrich
Charlie Bury
Trey Brown
Marlena Rodriguez
AJ Conover
Hosted by Trevor Martin & Conor Sullivan

7:30pm
Thursday, October 31st
Free/All Ages/BYOB

FREAK HAPPENING presents Little Record Shop of Maximum Carnage - This Friday!

Live at Lincoln Hall: La Sera opened for Father John Misty and Jeffertitti's Nile

La Sera, the solo project of Vivian Girls bassist “Kickball Katy” Goodman, opened for Father John Misty (aka J. Tillman) at Lincoln Hall on the eve of Halloween.

After releasing two albums on Sub Pop's sister label Hardly Art, Goodman developed a confidence that has added luster to her live presence. Not only can she actually play her instruments-- namely the bass, but also the guitar and, thumbing illustrious riffs-- Goodman can captivate an audience with a shake and swing of her hips. 

The band played a few tracks from their debut self-titled release but mostly stuck to hits from their latest album, Sees The Light, ending with the featured track called “Love That’s Gone.” And like that “Kickball Katy” vanished off stage leaving a fleet of beating hearts fluttering with wonder.

Jeffertitti's Nile, aka Jeffertitti's Moon, aka Father John Misty's bassist opened the show.

Father John Misty played the day before at saki with The Orwell’s for their Epitonic saki session.

Purchase La Sera releases via Mailorder from sakistore.net

Related articles

• Epitonic saki Session: The Orwells and Father John Misty
• Father John Misty played MHOW and Bowery Ballroom with La Sera & Jeffertitti's Nile (pics from Bowery)
• Jeffertitti's Nile (Father John Misty, The Entrance Band) in stock at saki!
• La Sera: Sees the Light

The Guide to Trading Candy

Music Box of Horrors :: 10/13

One of my favorite days in Chicago is almost here! It involves staying up too long, staying inside, and eating too much popcorn. This Saturday, October 13th is the Music Box of Horrors, a 24 hour horror movie marathon at the Music Box! I went last year on a whim unprepared – showed up 15 minutes before showtime with no ticket, but easily made it from noon to midnight, coming out with a new favorite movie, The Abominable Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price). This year, with a little preparation (think: comforter, pillow, sandwiches, candy, sleeping in), 24 hours can be accomplished. There's no way I'm going to miss Blood Diner at 7:30am...

Find the film lineup, synopses, ticket info, etc. here.

Wee Scary Beasties- Creepy Lullabies

Have a kid you wanna subtly morph into a knowledgable little son of a gun with good music taste and a knack for vinyl? Even if the answer is no...you hopefully love halloween, love classics like the Mekons + Devil in a Woodpile + Kelly Hogan hey? If you don't know and love these musicians, what kinda Chicagoan are you???? 

The point is, whip out your Fisher Price turntable, put your batman jammies on, and dance to the Wee Scary Beasties double 7" Creepy Lullabies (or go with the digital download if ya want) out on Carrot Top Records subsidiary WeeBeatz Records! Made up of Jon Langford + Sally Timms of the Mekons, Kelly Hogan (Neko Case, Pine Valley Cosmonauts) and Devil in a Woodpile, these songs are brilliant for any age and put you in the halloween spooker spirit with some "mighty jug band talents of front porch settin' old-timey blues ...Shangri-Las finger-popping flavor, [and] fresh seat-of-the-pants harmonies." The Wee Hairy Beasties credit kids (and their parents) for having a brain and knowing how to use it! 

Buy music from the Wee Hairy Beasties HERE or come in and get it at saki!

Scroll to the bottom to buy the 7s", the digital, or get Wee Hairy Beasties' other release Holidays Gone Crazy in time for some excellently fun holidays!

Wee Scary Beasties-Pumpkinhead by carrottoprecords

Real Estate covers a bunch of stuff for Halloween

Last night, Real Estate launched their US tour at Lincoln Hall, one of my favorite venues in Chicago. In observance of Halloween, the band donned a series of "musical costumes," injecting their set with a block of covers between tracks from their excellent new album Days, which happens to be available now at Saki!

Their choices of covers spanned several decades, including "Anything Could Happen" by The Clean and Weezer's "Holiday." The best of the bunch was their take on Felt's "Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow," featuring vocals by Matt Mondale, Real Estate's lead guitarist/the main dude from Ducktales.

Video from last night's show is not (yet?) available, but you can instead watch a clip of Mondale talk-sing his way through the song in his apartment along with the rest of the band (after some talk of Blink 182-sponsored air travel), courtesy of The Fader.

Halloween Carnival this weekend!

If you don't already know, we're hosting our Halloween party this Saturday at saki as part of our saki After Hours series. This month it's the saki Halloween Carnival with musical guests, Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man and Thunderwing!

We're going to have raffle prizes and gifts from Schubas/LH, Shake Shop, The Whistler, The Burlington & Girls Rock! Chicago! AND some spooky and bizarre attractions for you to enjoy, including candy for kids AND adults! I hear there just might be a very attractive bearded lady in attendance as well... come on out and have some fun with us!

Girls Rock!, YAWN & A Lull & Halloween @ saki!

Just a reminder, we've got a Girls Rock! Chicago movie night tomorrow here at saki! We'll have the popcorn and some other goodies for anyone in attendance. It is, however, B.Y.O.P. (Bring Your Own Pillow) to sit on/lay on. We also have chairs if your prefer...

Then, on Saturday, we've got a double-bill Epitonic saki Session with locals Yawn & A Lull playing at saki!

Next weekend join us for our Halloween Carnival with Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man and Thunderwing! We'll have carnival amusements & we're raffling off prizes from Schubas/Lincoln Hall, Shake Shop, The Whistler & more! Come in costume if you really want to be cool...

Halloween Building Party!!

Don't worry! There is still time to collaborate on the saki After Hours Halloween Carnival.

On October 22-23, we will be holding a weekend long "building party" to finalize as many of the Halloween projects as we can.

Everyone is invited to participate. Bring materials, paint, junk, costumes, ideas, stories, etc., to pool with what will already be available. If you don't want it, we can find a place for it. If you don't have it, don't worry.

Building begins at noon each day and goes on into eternity (or until we kick you out). Come when you wish, leave when you want. We don't ask for any more time than you are willing to give.

Email us and let us know if you can make it, when, and with what materials.

Hope to see you there!

saki's Seance

I'm not even sure where to start! So much to take in! It's been a full day since the event and I am still not finished processing it. I can testify that The Bitter Tears have again heaped on additional months to my therapy bills. By the time the show finally started, a nice crowd of dressed, undressed, dressed up, and all in between had gathered to witness. I know there was a lot of competition on a Halloween weekend, so we were super thankful for the support shown to saki and both of these groups, who put the thing on for free!

The Bitter Tears perform Scene One from their original play, "The Talking Skull."

Happy Halloween

Location:N Virginia Ave, Chicago

Mysterious Speck

I looked at my shirt today and noticed a small speck of black that I had never noticed before. I asked my wife what she thought it may be. Her suggestion was startling.

"Perhaps," she began, "it is the looking of a spirit, from out of the fibers of your garment, into our world with a peeping..."

I was aghast at the thought of a shade finding it suitable to peer from a perch upon my arm. Had I become some kind of magnet to the needy spectre? Was I to be doomed to a life of astral tourism? Was I now nothing more than a Spirit's Guide?

With a glass, I examined the speck. Closely I checked it, squinting and watering.

"Who is in there?" said I, hoping for a response. "Who are you and what are you looking at?"

But there was nothing in response.

I went to bed with a hole in my head which only the mystery's solution could fill.

Halloween in Logan Square

There is a lot going on in Logan Square for Halloween this year. Of course you already know about the seance here at Saki on October 30th.

Here is something else to consider while visiting our fine neighborhood in this festive season: The Musical of the Living Dead!!!

What could be better than combining the awesome George Romero movie, Night of the Living Dead, with music??

The show is right down the street from Saki at the Charnel House, 3421 W. Fullerton and is being presented by the Cowardly Scarecrow Theater Company. Click here for more info.

saki: The Newest Face of Marmalade

Perhaps you know, perhaps you do not know. Here is what should be known:

saki is starting something brand new and also new. It's so new that it isn't done. In fact, it may never be done; or to clarify, it may never be finished. That is, it is hoped that the end doesn't come, but that the beginning doesn't last forever, either. It wouldn't be wise to be starting something new over and over or for ever and ever. It wouldn't be smart to do that, is what I mean.

We are starting something new, is my point. It's starting soon with a certain event to be held the day before Halloween (as you know from my previous tellings), and will go onward and upward until time freezes; at which point it will do whatever timeless things do without time.

We are looking for artists and thinkers, then. We need some fellows who are ready to take a thing or two to the moon and maybe bring back some cheese.

If you are intrigued at all by these ramblings of a withered, shrunken man, please email tyler@ctdltd.com with a list of interests and skills. If you need more than that, I will be back from time to time, in various states of moodiness.

This is not a job, but it will be useful to you in some capacity, I'm sure.

Seance at saki: Oct. 30

Hoot, hoot, and scare. Yikes.

At the end of this month, Saki kicks off it's new "Art Challenge" series with a Halloween show featuring Charles Kim, Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man, The Bitter Tears, and more!

All the artists have been "challenged" to tell the story of the Fox Sisters, considered the founders of the Spiritualist movement (seances and the like), in their own way; ranging from large format photographs, to short musical plays, this promises to be a very fine time!

Saturday October 30th at 7:00 PM. The show is free, though donations are welcome.

Please email RSVP or do the same on Facebook

**The "Art Challenges" are designed to bring together artists from all mediums and all styles together, working towards a common goal, yet without any particular collaboration. See them as competitions, see them as experiments, however you wish, but just be sure to see them.

Gamera, Godzilla & Baby Godzilla take on the Great Pupkin

Every year our friend Dawn busts out an awesome Halloween costume for both girl and beast. This year is no exception.

Wow Dawn. Click the photo or post title to be taken to the whole set from 2009.

ZOMBIE DOUG'S

From the Time Out Chicago blog:



Lula Cafe has earned a cult following for its brunch, but even more so for its Halloween transformations. Each year for the holiday, the restaurant gets in costume by dressing up as an entirely different restaurants—one year it became Olive Garden, complete with all-you-can-eat breadsticks and servers in loud ties; another year Houlihan’s took over, bringing its tacky fake ferns and stained glass table lamps with it. We just learned that this year the Lula crew will team up with Hot Doug’s to turn Lula into “Zombie Doug’s,” with an undead Doug Sohn manning the counter in his usual order-taking mode and zombie servers delivering signature haute dogs rechristened with classic zombie names—basically Doug’s sausages and dogs topped with Lula’s product for gourmet Doug’s-style dogs. Given the typical popularity of Lula’s Halloween night festivities, we expect the line to look eerily similar to that at Hot Doug’s, so at least they’ll win points for realism.